Standard Lemma guide

inactivate

verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɪˈnæktɪveɪt/
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 N AE1 K T IH0 V EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To make inactive.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

make inactive

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they deactivated the file

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: deactivate

Antonyms: activate

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

Narrower terms: paralyze, paralyse

3

verb

Meaning 3

release from military service or remove from the active list of military service

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: demobilize, demobilise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: discharge, muster out

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Italic *n̥- Latin in- Proto-Indo-European *h2eǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *h2éǵeti Proto-Italic *agō Latin agō Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-European *-iHwósder. Latin -īvus ▲ Ancient Greek ἐνεργητῐκός (energētĭkós)sl. Latin āctīvus Latin ināctīvuslbor. French inactifder. English inactive Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh2tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātuslbor. English -ate English inactivate From inactive + -ate (verb-forming suffix) or in- + activate.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 使不活動 /使不活动 (shǐ bùhuódòng) — to put out of action
  • Japanese: 不活発にする (fukappatsuni-suru) — to put out of action
  • Māori: whakakaurapa — to put out of action